(Not) Really Scary Halloween

by Sophie Martin

  “Don’t be,” Ross said putting the man’s worries to rest. “I understand it now and will talk to my brother. I’m not sure what his answer will be, though. He is very wary of other paranormals, more so than I am.”

  “No problem. We will not force anyone to join the pack nor will we run you out of town. Take as much time as you need to decide. However, it might be wise for your brother to take a vacation away from here so that his health doesn’t suffer,” Jason said in an understanding voice.

  “Thank you. I’ll take it into consideration,” Ross said and nodded. Just then there was a knock on the door and Tyler jumped up to open it.

  “That must be Dominic and others,” Jason stated as some voices reached their ears from the hallway.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” somebody was saying. “I had plans to meet with Morton already when we got your message. He said he wanted to come with and I thought it was his right. He fought against those idiots before so he could be useful this time, as well.”

  Ross watched a slim, beautiful young man walk into the room, followed closely by a carbon copy of himself and two big, dark-haired men who looked like they might be related, as well. Last came a young, gangly looking man wearing big black-rimmed glasses.

  “That’s not a problem at all,” Jason said before addressing the kid. “Hello, Morton, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, Alpha. Thank you,” the man said shyly, adjusting his glasses. “I’m sorry for intruding on your meeting, but I wanted to help if possible.”

  “That’s very kind of you, but won’t it interrupt your studies?” Jason asked with concern.

  “Oh, no,” Morton smiled, and Ross noticed with surprise that it completely transformed him. He looked lovely, his face bright with happiness. “I’m done with all the essays and studying for now. It will be good to take a break from that.”

  “Morton, my man.” The man who first came in laughed and patted the kid’s back. “Only you could call a possible magical fight taking a break from studying.” Morton blushed at first then straightened and looked the blond man in the eyes as he answered sassily.

  “And that’s what makes us such good friends, isn’t it, Prince Timiny?” The blond man’s eyes grew huge and his doppelganger giggled.

  “He got you good this time, Timmy!” he said amongst peals of laughter. The blond recovered and laughed as well, in a more moderate way.

  “Yeah, I guess he did.” Timmy, or Prince Timiny as Morton called him, turned to Jason and asked him, “So, what is it about an imminent attack coming, Alpha? Is it that dreadful woman again? Or something else entirely? Did Tyler finally piss someone off so bad that they’re coming after you?”

  “Hey, I resent that!” Tyler said coming into the room. Ross noticed how the man seemed to have a comfortable relationship with the two blond men. It looked like they knew each other well. “I don’t annoy people that much!”

  “Yes, you do!” said almost everyone in a chorus nearly deafening Ross. He looked at the tiger and saw him grin.

  “Okay, maybe I do,” the large shifter said falling back on the sofa next to his mates and outstretching his arms behind their backs. Ross noticed that Toby seemed to have forgiven the tiger and relaxed into Jason’s embrace. “But this time it wasn’t my fault.”

  “Well, that’s a first, Ty, isn’t it?” The man Ross nicknamed a giggling blond stated as he cuddled into one of the big dark-haired men’s side. “So what’s going on? Who’s gonna attack you guys? And where’s Eric?” The small man fired questions like bullets from a machine gun and Ross was hard pressed to follow them.

  “We don’t know who’s attacking and as for Eric…” Jason started, but before he could finish his tiger-shifter mate’s easy-going demeanor changed drastically and he said with a deep rumble-like growl, “As for Eric, who the hell knows? The annoying god is never there when you need him!”

  “Now, now, Ty, calm down,” Toby said calmly before turning to Ross and explaining. “Eric is Jason’s father and a god. He’s somewhat elusive and comes and goes as he pleases. He and Tyler like to tease each other.”

  “It’s not teasing when someone turns your fur green and blue!” Tyler exclaimed, jumping to his feet and balling his fists.

  “He’s done what?” one of the newcomers asked while someone else chuckled. Jason’s eyes sparkled with mirth as he said.

  “I thought it was pretty funny. And to be fair, you did shed all over his clothes the last time he came to visit.” Ross looked around astonished. Was that how an Alpha’s inner circle behaved? It was nothing like what he imagined from his parents’ tales. His musings were interrupted by two simultaneous voices. One was the dark-haired man who cuddled the giggling blonde asking, “Um, Toby, you do know you were just talking to a cat, explaining things to him, right?” However much more disconcerting was the other reaction. The giggling man squealed and ran straight to Ross picking him up and cuddling him to his chest, burying his face in the fur on his neck and saying.

  “Oh, Toby, you got a kitty! I always wanted a kitty!”

  Ross wasn’t sure if he should be offended, amused or embarrassed. He decided to go with amused when he saw Toby, Jason, and Jack’s terror. Ty wore a smirk, but Ross decided to gracefully ignore it. Instead of any offended reaction, he settled into the young man’s arms and purred. That was what he would do when a human picked him up thinking he was a stray. It cost him nothing to be nice about it and secretly he liked when people fussed over him. Toby was the one to finally break the horrified silence.

  “Uh, Jimmy, Ross is not our pet,” the young man said. The man holding Ross looked up from where he nuzzling his fur and frowned in confusion.

  “He isn’t? But he’s got a collar and a bell and all.” Yeah, Ross hadn’t been all that happy when one of his nieces got him a bell as a birthday gift. The little one had said proudly that now he wouldn’t need to be afraid of ever getting lost because they would always be able to find him by the sound of his bell. Ross’s sister had been mortified and apologized profusely, saying she didn’t know little Annie had planned to give him such a thing. Ross had seen Annie’s confusion and how close to tears she had been about the reaction her gift had caused, so he had gone to the girl straight away. He had told her he loved her gift and was thankful for her thoughtfulness. He wore the bell all the time ever since, ignoring his siblings teasing about it. He thought of it now and chuckled internally at Toby’s impression of a fish opening and closing his mouth not knowing what to say.

  “The bell was a gift from my niece, and I wear a collar to not be mistaken for a stray and taken to a shelter. It has my address on the inside,” he explained and felt the man holding him tense slightly while his chest muscles twitched in an odd way.

  “Who said that?” the other blond man, Timiny, asked. Ross heard Jason sigh as he stood up and addressed all the newcomers.

  “Guys, meet Ross. He’s the person who notified us about the upcoming attack. He’s also an owlcat. A shifter who has two forms but doesn’t change into a human.

  Complete chaos erupted after that statement, people talking over one another until it was impossible to understand anything of what was being said. The man carrying Ross, Jimmy, lifted him up holding behind his front paws and looked him straight into the eyes.

  “Are you really a shifter?” he asked, and Ross couldn’t help but be amused at the little frown on the handsome man’s face.

  “Yes, I am,” he answered with a smile easily heard in his voice.

  “And you don’t mind me holding you like that?” the man asked, and he seemed a little bit worried. Ross concentrated on the man alone and asked.

  “Do you think anyone else can hear me talking now?” Jimmy looked around and shook his head, his face serious and biting his lower lip. It indeed seemed like no one paid them any attention.

  “I’ll let you on a little secret of mine, but you better not tell anyone, okay?” The cute fey nodded solemnly and Ross had a feeling he was facing an innocent
creature. “I rather enjoy being petted, but it wouldn’t do for it to get out. My reputation would suffer significantly. So it’s between you and me, okay?” The man smiled beautifully and nodded putting Ross back on the arm of the chair and petting his head one last time. Just as he did so, Ross became suddenly aware of a low growl filling the room with sudden tension. He looked up and saw the dark-haired man who had been cuddling Jimmy just minutes ago with his teeth bared and jaw clenched, the growl coming directly from his throat.

  Ross looked up and noticed the man’s eyes changed to a brilliant golden-yellow, the whites bleeding out almost entirely. There was a promise of pain written in those golden orbs, and Ross felt his fur stand on end as his back bowed, his ears flattened, and he released an answering hiss. The man who had just released him looked up and sighed. Ross thought he heard something akin “Oh, not again!” before the little blond rushed off to the growling man.

  “Sweet, what’s the matter?” Jim asked, putting his hands on the bigger man’s chest and stroking it calmingly.

  “Mate, mine!” The man growled the words and Ross had a sudden image of a caveman beating his chest.

  “Of course I’m yours,” Jimmy placated him.

  “Mate not touch cat!” the man spat, and Ross gave another involuntary hiss followed by a swipe of his paw. Jimmy frowned and slapped the man’s chest.

  “Dom, we spoke about this already!” he said, his voice exasperated. “I’m your mate, but it doesn’t mean I can’t touch anyone else.”

  “Mate pet cat! Mate not pet others! Mate only pet me!” The growly man seemed really stubborn, and Ross saw from the corner of his eye Jimmy shake his head.

  “Sweet, I only petted his fur, there was nothing inappropriate about it.”

  “Mate not touch another fur! Mate only touch my fur!” Wow, that was one stubborn bastard. Ross wasn’t sure if he should be pissed on Jimmy’s behalf or amused about the big man’s overbearing ways.

  “Dominic! You don’t have any fur, mate!” Jimmy exclaimed, and both Ross and the other man turned to look at him. The blond man threw his hands in the air and shook his head, muttering something like, “Heavens save me from overbearing alpha wolves.” Ross turned to look at the growly man again and was surprised to see him whine.

  “Mate angry?” he asked in a miserable whine.

  “No, sweet, I’m not mad at you.” Jimmy sighed and went to hug the man who then proceeded to rub all over the blonde’s face. It was then that Ross noticed a strange fluttering of Jimmy’s shirt. It seemed odd but Ross didn’t pay it much attention as he concentrated back on the man who challenged him. The growly man seemed happy enough having Jimmy back in his arms and rubbing all over him. A few moments passed, and the man’s eyes returned to normal and he blinked, looking around distractedly. Then he groaned.

  “Not again!” he muttered hiding his face in Jimmy’s hair. “What did I do this time?” He asked, his face still buried in his lover’s locks.

  “Nothing much, cousin dear,” the other big, dark-haired man said. “You just pissed all over your mate. Again!” Dominic groaned and shook his head, never lifting it from where he hid it.

  “I’m sorry, Jimmy, I wish I could control the damn thing better.”

  “That’s all right, sweet, I’m used to it now. Besides no harm was done, you just need to apologize to Ross.”

  “Ross?” the man asked lifting his face and gazing down at Jimmy.

  “Your mate, in his jealous rage, seems to have lost the entire owlcat debacle, brother.” The other blond man said, stepping forward and pulling the other tall, dark-haired man with him.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ross, I’m Timiny Jones and this is my mate, Joel Simmonds.” Joel looked pretty confused but followed his partner’s suit.

  “Joel is human,” Toby explained, and Ross had an ah-ha moment.

  “Nice to meet you, Ross,” Joel obediently repeated, trying his best to go with his mate’s wishes.

  “Please tell him thank you and it is nice to meet him, as well.” Ross decided to take pity on Joel. Toby looked at him in surprise but then slapped his forehead.

  “You only said you wanted to be able to be heard by paranormals!” Toby rolled his eyes and relayed the message, Joel relaxing slightly.

  “Oh, good,” Ross heard him mutter. “I thought for a moment you’d all gone crazy.”

  There were more introductions after that, and Dominic, who proved to be an Alpha wolf-shifter and Jiminy’s mate, apologized to Ross for his outburst. It seemed that the man still had problems with his wolf when it came to jealousy.

  Once the introductions were complete, Ross once again relayed to everyone the details of the overheard conversation. After he finished, there was a chorus of voices shouting over each other. The outrage at the danger the strangers were causing to unsuspecting children seemed to be the most prevalent. Ross felt a weight lift from his chest. He had made the right decision. These were good people, and they deserved to be warned about the danger they were in. When the exclamations finally calmed down, the inner circle proceeded with the discussion about what measures should be undertaken to prevent any damage from the upcoming attack. Ross was invited to stay for the meeting and they asked for his opinion. Strangely he felt more at home with this ragtag group of paranormals than with his own family.

  It wasn’t that Ross didn’t love his family or didn’t care for them. He did, very much so. But they never treated him like an actual adult who was capable of making his own decisions. Even though he wasn’t the youngest of his siblings, having three younger brothers, he was still treated more like a child than they were. Ross knew, logically, that it was due to his owlcat nature. His family thought that being unable to turn human made him weaker than them, but Ross knew differently. He was just as capable as any of his siblings, if not more so.

  These people here never treated him like less of a man just because he couldn’t turn human. He wondered if it was because they were all used to being different. Jason, Dominic, and Toby grew up convinced that they were human just to be thrust into the paranormal world unexpectedly. Joel was actually a human but had fallen in love and mated with a pixie. Timiny and his brother were pixies, and from what Ross gathered from the few comments that had been made, something of an oddity in the fey world. Then there was Tyler… Yeah, the tiger was the oddest one of the bunch. Ross was still convinced the shifter was completely mad. And as for Jack and Morton… It was pretty obvious that they were outsiders, kind of like Ross himself. Ross might not know what their stories were, except Jack’s imprisonment, but he recognized a fellow outcast when he saw one.

  Maybe that was what made these people accept him, no questions asked. Ross didn’t know. He sighed when the meeting was over and it was time for him to go home. He looked at a clock and swore under his breath. Toby was the only one to hear him and the young man’s eyebrows rose in question.

  “It’s late, and my brother will be worried as hell. I never told him I was leaving and I usually make sure to be home when he gets back from work. He worries too much. I didn’t realize how late it was!” he explained and saw Toby grimace in sympathy.

  “Would you like me to call him?” Toby asked, and Ross felt grateful.

  “I guess,” he said. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining to his brother about his whereabouts. Ron was sure to be furious with him.

  “Come with me then. We’ll call him from the kitchen; it’s much quieter there,” Toby said gesturing for Ross to follow him. With a sigh, he did.

  Chapter Five

  They went into the kitchen and Toby pulled out a chair for Ross before pulling out one for himself.

  “Should I tell him the truth, that I know who you are, or pretend I found his lost cat?” Toby asked, showing how perceptive he truly was. That was why Ross wore a collar. It protected him from being picked up by a stranger and handed off to a vet, where he could be castrated. While he never felt attracted to anyone and believed himself to be asexual, R
oss still had no desire to have his testicles removed. So he wore a collar with his and his brother’s address on it. If he was ever picked up by a well-wishing human, he would be handed back to his brother, his family jewels kept intact.

  “Tell him the truth,” Ross answered getting back to present. There was no sense pretending. His brother would know straight away what Ross had been up to once he found out where Ross were. Toby nodded and proceeded to call the number Ross gave him.

  “Ron Axelbrom, how can I help you?” his brother’s terse voice came over the phone, and Ross felt a stab of remorse. He hated worrying his brother, but he had had to do the right thing. He hoped Ron would understand that and forgive him.

  “Yes, hello, Mr. Axelbrom. I’m calling on behalf of your brother, Ross. He is visiting with us and had just realized how late it’s gotten. He is sorry for worrying you,” Toby said.

  “Who is this?” Ron’s voice grew suspicious and angry. “What have you done with my brother? If you hurt him, so help me god…” Ron started, and Toby pulled the mobile phone from his ear covering the microphone.

  Turning to Ross he asked, “Do you think he can hear you over the phone? I think I’ve only made things worse.” He grimaced apologetically.

  “I don’t know, but it can’t hurt to try, can it?” he said and waited for Toby to hold the handset out for him. He padded closer to the small device and spoke hesitantly.

  “Ron? Ron, can you hear me?”